Sometimes, cards were simply kept in readily available cigar boxes or check boxes. Routine handling and reshuffling tended to wear and damage valuable collectible cards. As more people began to collect such cards, rare or early cards have become quite valuable and collectible. In particular, cards bearing an original autograph of the subject and cards showing rookie players who later become stars can be extremely valuable. Collectors began to store the cards in paper sleeves, envelopes or plastic bags to protect them from incidental damage. Ideally, the cards would be stored in a manner allowing viewing of the cards while protecting them against physical damage. Plastic sleeves protect against wear quite well, but generally do not protect against bending or ultraviolet fading. Thus, conventional storage methods do not provide maximum protection while allowing the card image to be viewed or displayed.
The displaying and collecting of favorite cards, such as sports cards or non-sports cards, collectively referred to as “flat card”, is known. There are various types of prior art cardholders and display means for flat cards. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,003 issued on Nov. 21, 2000 to Day, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a card protection system comprising a transparent card holder and a light impervious pouch for containing in the holder. The card holder comprises front and back transparent sheet walls, upstanding ribs formed on at least one inner wall surface surrounding spaces corresponding to the dimensions of a card and a certificate of authenticity to be held in selected positions therein. The front and back walls can be bonded together by ultrasonic welding, adhesive bonding or the like after the card and certificate have been placed therein. The card holder is distinguishable with bonded front and back sheet walls that cannot be opened without damage to the holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,292 issued on Dec. 4, 2001 to Sehr, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a card system and methods that encompass a card issuer entity and a plurality of service providers so as to automatically compile, issue, utilize, and process collector cards for the purpose of enjoyment, purchase of goods and services, and for the activation of other card-based privileges. The portable collector cards are realized by smart card technology and have the ability to compile and process collectible information, and store and use a monetary amount to simulate debit/credit card payment means. Sehr patent is distinguishable with biometrics identification of cardholders with desired database information.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,383 issued on Oct. 5, 1993 to McCusker et al., entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a plastic display device for holding and protecting a card or card-like display item comprising a rectangular frame structure with a chamber means of sufficient size for receiving a card or card-like display item. The frame structure further comprises groove means horizontally disposed along the front section below the chamber and a corresponding groove means disposed along the base section whereby the base sections can be detached to provide removal of a card display item from the chamber means. The display device is distinguishable with its groove means for insertion and removal of a card display item.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,953 issued on Mar. 24, 1992 to Gingras, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a card holding device which comprises a lower section and an upper section. The lower section comprises a female surface having a recessed portion having a depth for receiving a card, the depth being approximately equal to the thickness of the card and the upper section comprises a male surface that has a raised central portion which presses against a sport card secured in an inner frame portion of the lower section. The card holding device is distinguishable with its two sectional frames for holding flat cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,826 issued on Mar. 27, 1979 to Shaw, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display holder with a frame having front and rear walls between which a plate is inserted and positioned against the inner side of the front wall, wherein the front wall is apertured to permit viewing of the plate therethrough and means on the rear wall is provided for supporting the plate in a vertical position at three points. The rear wall has a pair of abutment elements adapted to engage the rear side of such article at horizontally spaced apart points along the lower portion of the plate when the plate is so positioned. The Shaw display holder is distinguishable with a supporting arrangement to maintain the plate in a vertical position and ready assembly with adhesives or sealants.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,061 issued on Jan. 8, 1980 to English, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display frame with at least two different display areas within the frame for exhibiting in one area a two-dimensional object and in another area a three-dimensional object. The display tray defines a concave surface facing the transparent sheet material and forming with the transparent sheet material a space for receiving a three-dimensional object. The English display frame is distinguishable with the special display tray used to cradle the three-dimensional object so that the object can be exhibited through the display frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,062 issued on Mar. 3, 1992 to Palka, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display device for holding and exhibiting placards and the like such as business cards, wherein a plurality of card-receiving pockets are arranged on the front face of a main plate-like body. Each pocket is capable of receiving a plurality of placards in the form of a stack or batch so as to maintain such placards in a neat upright stack with the outer face of the outermost placard of the stack clearly visible to a casual observer. More specifically, the display device has an open-topped pockets arranged with three flanges per pocket. The display device is distinguishable with its open pockets for flat cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,124 issued on Jul. 15, 1980 to Gammill, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a frame for wall-mountable displays including a plurality of nails with first heads at the driven end of the nail and second heads axially displaced from the first heads. A resilient structure for supplying directional pressure, such as tension spring wires, is located between the two heads radially extending beyond the first heads when expanded. The Gammill frame is distinguishable with tension spring wires expanded to hold the frame in place by resilient action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,361 issued on Jun. 20, 1978 to Ledenican, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display frame for holding a flat member having a separable frame portion separably secured thereto in a manner permitting separation only by an authorized person having a special tool. The separable frame portion is separably secured to the holding frame portion by separable joints, at least one of which includes a locking member completely concealed within the frame and having a movable latch portion yieldably urged to a locked position and being movable to a released position. The display frame is distinguishable with its concealed locking mechanism preventing from separating the frame unauthorized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,202 issued on Jul. 29, 1997 to Hewitt, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses an expandable display device and sports cardholder arranged in the frame. The cardholder includes two matching transparent panels engaged to hold the card-like object. Indentations in the panels at a periphery edge thereof provide a cutout gripping portion enabling the card holder to be manually grasped by inserting a portion of a finger into the cutout portion. A second embodiment of a transparent cardholder comprises two joined transparent rectangular sides having an access notch in the front and two magnetic strips underneath to attach the holes to the metal backing members. The cardholder is distinguishable with its two dissimilar parts which must have magnetic strips for mounting on the metal backing panels in the metal frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,316 issued on Jul. 30, 1985 to Farnum, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses an economical frame for photographs, visual displays and three-dimensional objects comprising an envelope with a cropping guide for cropping the display thru a cropped area, when uncropped, protecting the envelope from tearing or damage. The Farnum economical frame is distinguishable with its cropping guide means that, when uncropped, protecting the envelope with a three-dimensional object from tearing or damage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,691 issued on May 16, 1989 to Manjos et al., entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display device and protector for suitably holding a card-like object comprising two transparent panels connected along a common hinge line, wherein the first panel has a recess area matching the projection area of the second panel allowing display of the card. The Manjos et al. device is distinguishable with two suitably matching panels for holding the card in between the recess and the projection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,619 issued on Dec. 25, 1990 to Hager, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a protective case for collectible sport cards comprising front and rear panels of matching elongated rectangular perimeter adapted to be cohesively sealed to enclose a sports card. The Hager case is distinguishable with dimensions of the case relative to the sports card such that the sports card within a sealed case is free to move slightly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,600 issued on Jul. 6, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,114 issued on Oct. 25, 1994, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,163 issued on Jun. 4, 1996, all to Neugebauer that entire contents of all three are incorporated herein by reference, disclose a card holder having a transparent base with a lip extending around the periphery of the base thereby forming a pocket for receiving a card. The card holder may comprise a base with a slot therein and a cover with a flange extending from the cover, wherein the flange on the cover engages the slot in the base enabling the threaded fastener engages apertures in both the base and cover to secure the card holder in a closed position. The Neugebauer card holder is distinguishable with a sealed or fastened mechanism for holding the two panels together.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,136 issued on Nov. 9, 1993 to Goserud, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a holder for a collectible card comprising a jacket of two panels with three of the edges bonded together and the remaining edge as an entrance opening to the jacket, and a flexible thin insert member completely fills the jacket except for an aperture defined by four straight interior edges serving to retain a collectible card within the aperture, preventing inadvertent release of the card from the aperture. The Goserud holder is distinguishable with four straight interior edges within the jacket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,097 issued on Nov. 9, 1999 to Moore, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display device kit utilizing a card holder in combination with an angled frame to provide a protective, aesthetically pleasing, versatile display of a collectible card. The display device further provides means for viewing at least a portion of the cards through the frame. The Moore display device is distinguishable with a transparent frame for viewing of at least a portion of side of the item through a viewing region in each of the front and rear panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,394 issued on Mar. 7, 2000 to Hand et al., entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a placard holder utilizing a mounting plate which confines the placard in a certain position, wherein a plurality of pins are linked to the mounting plate and are capable of passing through the body. A backing member engages the pins through a plurality of apertures. The pins are held in place by a fixation member. The Hand et al. placard holder is distinguishable with a holder for fixing a placard to a body which is durable and versatile.
US Patent Application No. 2003/0033745 by Ribaudo that is published on Feb. 20, 2003, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display system having a substantially flat front portion for holding and displaying memorabilia. The display system comprises a frame, a backing supported by the frame, a plurality of cardholders for holding photographic memorabilia and a recessed chamber for holding an object of memorabilia associated with the photographic memorabilia. The cardholders are arranged about the chamber in an aesthetic manner. The Ribaudo patent application is distinguishable with a cardholder that retains trading cards and is attachable to the backing.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0069567 by Marino that is published on Jun. 13, 2002, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a display frame for displaying encased sports cards and the like with a glass pane, a pre-frame of wood or plastic having a cutout port for each card encased in an inflexible transparent plastic card holder, and an inflexible cardboard backing layer. The card display frame is distinguishable with its capability of holding up to one hundred flat cards within the frame.
Further, US Patent Application No. 2002/0129527 by Vaudreuil that is published on Sep. 19, 2002, entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a card holder for securely linking together an identification card to a validation card so as to prevent fraudulent removal of the identification and validation cards once the latter have been inserted into the card holder. The Vaudreuil card holder is distinguishable with means for displaying the first identification card and the second validation card in an offset relationship relative to each other allowing simultaneous display of both cards.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as specified and claimed, particularly the partitioned card box with a first cardholder portion for card display and a second cardholder portion for card storage, whereas the first cardholder is easily ready for inserting, storing, protecting and removing a valuable collectible card.
While such prior devices provide improvement in the area intended, they all related to some kind of assembly for displaying card-type objects. The main different feature of a partitioned card box is its protected display cardholder and separated storage cardholders. In some aspect, it is provided a partitioned/split card box with individual holder caps to each cardholder, whereas the outer face of the display card is clearly visible to a casual observer.